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The great debate on CO2 emissions

Nature volume 390, pages 227–228 (1997)Cite this article

There is a broad consensus that emissions of greenhouse gases, principally CO 2 , must be reduced to minimize any adverse effects of climate change. But fierce argument attends the question ‘How quickly?’.

Over the past few years, almost all of the world's leaders have acknowledged that the science telling us of long-term climate change, driven by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, is compelling, and that action is needed to reduce such emissions. In just over a week, on 1 December, parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change of 1992 (FCCC) will convene in KyotoFootnote 1 to agree upon and formally adopt the elements of just such an action. The intended outcome is legally binding commitments for industrialized (Annex I) countries and some provision to ensure that developing (non-Annex I) countries will engage in the process in the not-too-distant future.

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Notes

  1. * See other contributions to this topic in Briefing on page 215and Commentary on page 225.

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  1. Woods Hole Research Center, Woods Hole, USA, 02543, Massachusetts

    Kilaparti Ramakrishna

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  1. Kilaparti Ramakrishna
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Ramakrishna, K. The great debate on CO2 emissions. Nature 390, 227–228 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/36723

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